This past Friday (April 5), Grammy Award-winning Christian music powerhouse for KING & COUNTRY, which is comprised of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, released a creative cover of Stryper’s iconic Christian metal song “To Hell With The Devil (RISE).”
The track appears on the upcoming soundtrack for the film “Unsung Hero,” a biopic that tells the story of how the Smallbone family moved from Australia to the U.S. after their Christian music company financially crumbled.
Joel co-wrote and stars as his father in the film alongside Daisy Betts, Candance Cameron Bure, Lucas Black, Terry O’Quinn, and Hillary Scott.
For KING & COUNTRY spared no creative expense with their version of the 1986 Christian metal song, joining forces with Grammy Award-winning Christian rapper Lecrae and Grammy Award-nominee Stryper.
“What a cover this is, and a bit of an outrageous one at that,” for KING & COUNTRY said. “One of our earliest memories is sitting in front of a record player holding a vinyl 45 of Stryper’s ‘The Yellow & Black Attack’ cover.”
“This song was a fun one to reinvent and think through as a duo and Lecrae, performing what we believe is one of his greatest raps yet; coupled with Michael Sweet reinventing his iconic guitar solo at the end,” they added.
The band concluded, “We even added a new section to the song, talking about rising out of ‘darkness into light’…we hope this one brings a bit of new energy to your listening endeavors.”
Stryper appears in “Unsung Hero,” although the band is played by actors. The film depicts when the Smallbones’ father was the promoter for Stryper’s Australia tour in the 1980s.
On Instagram, Stryper’s lead vocalist Michael Sweet thanked for KING & COUNTRY for letting him sing and play on the new track. “I’ll never forget the first time I met you guys (you were toddlers sitting on my lap) and now you’re conquering the world,” he said. “I’m thrilled to know that we played a small part in that
.”
The entire soundtrack, which features covers of Michael W. Smith’s “Place in This World,” Seal’s “Crazy” and Amy Grant’s “Lead Me On,” drops on April 26—the same day the movie “Unsung Hero” debuts in theaters.
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